I didn’t go after her. What was the point? I’d spent the last few days showing her spoilt ass what I had inside me for her, and she’d thrown that shit back in my face. What the fuck did she want?

Granted we hadn’t talked about anything too heavy in between making love, but how green can she be? If a man is going to fuck you all day every day that you’re in his presence what the fuck do you think that means?

I’d taken care of her, catering to her every need, even bathing her myself and holding her against me in the shower so I could wash her up when she was too tired to do it herself.

I knew she knew who my wife was because I mentioned that I’d been married once. Who the fuck did she think was in that picture for fuck sake? So I didn’t share the gory details of my past with her, she could be thankful for that shit.

Instead she seemed to want me to just put my wife away somewhere like she was never here. I’ll never do that shit.

I heard a car pull up outside and my heart skipped a beat. Then I realized it didn’t sound like her piece of shit foreign tin trap. I should’ve known he’d show up.

“You’re really something you know that? What the hell is wrong with you?”

I eyed my annoying little brother and didn’t bother to answer as I raised the beer to my head and took a swig. Something else I was back to enjoying without her annoying ass here to judge.

“Nice to see you too.”

“I’m not playing around with you this time. Do you know how I know you fucked up?”

“What? She came running to you?”

“No, it was at the scene of her….”

I jumped out of the chair and fisted his collar before he was through saying whatever the fuck was about to come out of his mouth. “The scene of her what. You tell me some fuck happened to her I’ll throw you through the wall.”

Fuck me, I didn’t want to hear this. “Nothing happened to her. I was going to say the scene of her almost accident but you didn’t let me finish.” Was this fucker playing me?

I could’ve sworn I saw a little smirk on his face when he turned away. “What happened?”

“I guess she was crying too hard to see where she was going and almost ran into a tree.”

“Is she okay?”

“What do you care? Haven’t you done everything in your power to drive her away?”

“Mind your own damn business….”

“You are my business you hardheaded son of a bitch. Why do you think I went to such lengths to get you to move here? So I could make sure you didn’t do this. Why did you do that to her?”

“What did she tell you exactly?” I knew it, knew these two were in cahoots. He knows how much I hate that shit.

“Why should I tell you? So you can use it as an excuse to get mad at the both of us for some imagined slight?”

“You’re my brother Braden, you’re the first person I ever loved in my whole life. All I want for you is to see you happy is that so bad? That girl loves you, I’m damned if I know why. But I know it as well as I know you have feeling for her.”

“Why won’t you give yourself a chance?”

“What did she say?” There was less heat in my words this time when I asked.

“She didn’t say much. Just that you two had a fight. But the way she was hyperventilating and crying her little heart out, I couldn’t leave it at that.”

Of course not, because you always have to have your nose in my shit. “Are you going to tell me what the fuck she said?”

“Wait a minute. I’m still deciding if you deserve to hear this or not.” This jackass.

“She said that you don’t love her and she’s not the type of girl who can be in a meaningless relationship.” He went on to say how she thought I had no room in my heart for her since I was still in love with my ex wife.

“She told you all this standing on the side of the road huh?”

“Of course, I couldn’t send her home to her parents like that. I had to console her….”

“What do you mean console?”

“Well, she was crying really hard, and since I was the one who talked her into coming out here to help out I felt kinda responsi…hey let me go you ass.”

“Did you touch her?”

“No, not that it’s any of your business if I did. You want to unhand me? You’re sure not acting like someone who doesn’t care.”

“Leave it alone Wyatt.”

“Fine! Oh by the way, I thought you might like to know that some stranger bailed her two attackers out of jail and they’ve since disappeared into the wind.”

“What the fuck do you mean?”

“Well, they weren’t locals and they were bailed out by an out-of-towner. We’re working on finding their location.”

“And you let her go knowing that shit?”

“What would you like me to do?”

I paced the room again like a caged animal with my mind in turmoil. “I need everything you have on those two.”

“That won’t be necessary it’s for the law to take care of.”

“Don’t fuck with me Wyatt, what do you know?”

“Why do you care? This is the perfect opportunity for you to wash your hands clean of the whole mess and move on with your life. Then you can go back to living in the past.”

“Just how the fuck long were you two standing on the side of that road?” Wasn’t that the same shit she’d thrown at me before storming out?

“Long enough for me to know that you’re about to let something go that you shouldn’t.”

I didn’t answer him. I already knew what he thought. He’s one of the ones who thinks I should’ve move on by now. How could he know how hard that shit was? He’s never lost the woman he loves.

“Braden, don’t do this shit, you’ll regret it. If she gets on that plane tomorrow…”

“What the fuck are you talking about, what plane?”

“Oh didn’t I tell you, she’s planning on taking a trip to get away and lick her wounds.”

“Why didn’t you say that shit in the first place you ass?” I was already out the door and whistling for my dog, who’d been giving me the cold shoulder ever since she left. He took his sweet time coming around the side of the house with another one of his too human looks.

“You want to go get the girl or not?” His ears perked up and I was beginning to think I’d trained his ass too well. Damn dog was damn near human.

I didn’t know what I was going to say to her once I got there. I knew where she lived because I looked it up after she left, not quite sure why, just wanted to know.

I didn’t like that she thought I didn’t love her. I never would’ve taken her innocent ass to my bed if all I wanted was a fuck.

I could lie and tell myself I was going after her because her attackers were on the loose, but the truth is, I was planning my approach before asshole Wyatt showed up at my door with his nosy ass.

I could’ve called before I pulled up to her driveway and saw her car there, but I waited until then just in case she tried to give me the slip. “Come outside.” I didn’t say hello or identified myself, she’d better know who the fuck this is.

She came outside two minutes later and it was obvious that she was still in a snit. Harley for once stayed his ass in the bed of the truck while I leaned against the driver’s side door waiting for her to come to me.

When she was standing right in front of me I didn’t touch her though I wanted to. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now. “I’ve come to take you home.” There, that was straightforward and to the point.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Stubborn little shit.

“Look, I know I’m a little hard to take but this is who I am. You came to me remember? You’re the one that climbed into my bed. I had your blood on my cock and my sheets, you think I’m gonna just let you walk, think again.”

“Shh, keep your voice down.” She looked over her shoulder as if expecting her parents to be at the window listening or some shit.

“And that’s another thing. Where the fuck did you get the idea that I’d be okay sneaking around? You know what…”

I grabbed her hand and headed back towards the house. “What are you doing?” She tried taking her hand out of mine without much luck.

She hissed and spat like a cat until I opened the door and dragged her inside. Her parents were sitting in the den with the TV on but he was reading and she was knitting.

They both looked up when we walked in. “Oh hi Mr. Scott, we weren’t expecting company. What brings you here? Cassie offer our guest a drink.”

“That won’t be necessary, I won’t be staying long.”

I turned my attention to his wife. “I have a confession of sorts to make. Your daughter was not at a friend’s like she told you. She was with me. I’m in love with her and plan to marry her if she’d only give me two minutes to get my thoughts together.”

“Oh we already know dear, she told us that that’s where she was. Though she didn’t mention anything about getting married.”

“That’s because I’m not marrying him.”

“Oh you’re marrying me alright.” She’d taken some of the steam out of my sails. I hadn’t expected to hear that, that she’d come clean. “Listen we need to talk, I’m taking her with me.”

“You can’t just drag me off. Mom, dad, say something.”

“Didn’t you just spend the whole afternoon telling us how much you love him? And that you’re an adult and can make your own decisions?”

“Dad.” She hissed at him as I continued pulling her from the room.

“You love me huh.”

“Yeah well don’t let it go to your head. That was before I realized how much I hate you.”

“Nice story babe, now get in the truck.” Harley picked his head up and I don’t know what passed between those two but she stopped fighting me long enough to let me help her into the truck.